IN my view, there are 4 kinds of people:
1) Some people always buy cheap cheap.
2) Some people need stuff and they'll buy whatever they can afford at the time they need said thingy.
3) Other people wait until they can buy the very best, no matter what it is no matter how long it takes.
4) Still others buy the very best they can afford of some things and punt on others.
I am a type 4. For example, killer shoes for that killer day in court or office meetings, shoes that will be worn again and again and need to feel good? TOTL (Top of the line) all the way. But shoes I might wear one-time-only to some silly party or for a costume? ON sale or not at all. Same goes in other categories. For my bedroom, a room I live in, it has nice furniture. But my guest bedroom? A comfortable bed is a must, but the accoutrements (dresser, nightstand) need not be solid mahogany. I would if I could, but I can't, so that's where I must save a little. And tools. I am no Bob Vila. I will never be Bob Vila. Any serious fixing-uping will not be done by me. But if I need a leveler** for hanging pictures (ok my son wanted it not me. I believe in the eye-to-thumb method), I buy name brand but um, middle of the road I think. But when it comes to the measuring tape, that was a stanley TOTL. I think you get my point.
But the Ex? Always TOTL, always. Made me crazy when we were married. There were times I just wanted something to put the TV on besides milk crates. OK so we really wanted the mahogany TV cabinet. But we kept moving and moving and didn't want it damaged and couldn't seem to afford it, so for 12 years we put it on milk crates or some table. Eventually we didn't have a TV but invested in a home theater. I have to tell you, for $200 (or less) I would've enjoyed a nice TV cabinet for 12 years, even if we eventually chucked it out....
Which leads me to the latest mocking/abuse that I hinted at below. Apparently they needed a leveler while installing the garage door opener. I happen to know that Ex has 3 or 4 levelers of various sizes and of highest quality (he cut the ads out and put them in an envelop for me to go Christmas shopping to make sure I got exactly the right one. A real ball of surprise-o-fun that one, yessireeee). Have I mentioned He Lives Next Door. While putting up the opener, they used Son's leveler. You know, the one for occasional picture hanging. It got dropped. The bubbly thingy popped out. I made the mistake of showing my face in the garage while they were cleaning up to compliment them on a fantastic job and to thank Ex for helping. He picked up the leveler and said, "Nice job on this. Next time you might try one step up." Hey, it wasn't the cheapest. And it was a stanley. And It probably levels pictures nicely. It might fit up a certain tight space on your body, too. (Did I type that out loud?)
So I'm curious, what kind of person are you?? Please take the poll!
** you can call it a level all you like. I will always call it a leveler. Because it levels things. And when the guys at work mocked me, I showed them an ad from a client selling one of those laser leveler thingys and in the original ads (done by a man) it was named a leveler. Go ahead. Debate me. C'mon DF Mr Bob Vila Jr. I know you want to....
5 comments:
Hey...thanks for popping by my blog!! It's always nice to meet new people!! Your life seems so very interesting...don't see how you do it, living next door to your ex, without large amounts of alcohol....I'm very impressed!!!
As for shopping...I'm probably a #2 on most accounts...with some #4 thrown in. A bra is something I try not to scrimp on...and strangely enough, my mechanical pencil~~I have one that is a bit expensive, but...it's perfect!!
oh...and BTW...I too say "leveler"...but I also call duct tape "hundred-mile-an-hour-tape", so better not use me as a credible witness!! :-D
have a good Tuesday!!
debbie
I qualify on the practical side. I buy good quality when things will be used frequently, but for single/infrequent use, cheap is for me.
As far as levels (leveler) go, I have several, but none are top of the line and cant imagine the need for me to have a TOTL level. Function works. I have a cheap 2 ft level (less than $10) for leveling pictures, a cheap ($15) 4 ft level and a good ($30) 4 ft level. This is typical of all the tools that I have. Some are good and some are not.
I do not know where I fit, so you can rate me.
I'm cheap. There's no way around it. We've lived in our current house for three years, and my bedroom still looks like we moved in yesterday (well, except for the clutter), because our bedspread clashes with the walls and we never even bothered to put the similarly-clashing bedskirt on. I know I should just go out and buy a new comforter set, but every time I try, I see the prices and start to hyperventilate.
It's the same with clothes and shoes. I can't bring myself to pay more than about $20 on a pair of shoes, and my entire wardrobe is courtesy of Old Navy and Target.
That said, there are a few things I do splurge on. Toys for M -- that child has more useless plastic than a landfill. Also, I'm a perfume junkie and if I were still working, I'd be buying books and lip gloss with abandon.
Finally, I think X's frustration with your level is just a smokescreen 'cause he dropped it and wanted to blame you because it broke.
I'm totally a #4. My shoes are always good, because I've had foot problems and can't wear cheapie shoes. (Well, except for Crocs, but those are for around the house only.)
But my jeans are t-shirts are usually Target.
And then a friend of mine is a jewelry designer, so I have some pretty great bling.
I don't need a LEVEL (every maintenace person I deal with calls it a level-YOU are the levelER) because my lovely wife has OCD and can tell when something is .00001 off by eye. I am definitely a #2 (and was called that a lot by our older siblings growing up-but I digress) but only by clarifying "need." When you buy those one time shoes you don't NEED top of the line, what you NEED are a pair of shoes that look nice and don't kill your feet. We NEEDED a fridge, WANTED bottom mount in stainless steel, but wasn't going to pay $4000 for the top of the line because we didn't NEED it.
Of course since you were the youngest you were also the NEEDIEST...
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